Last week’s blog post was about the Australian Cattle Dog-mix pup I was fostering, and the effect he’s apparently had on Otto, my usually perfectly behaved dog. Otto usually mentors and guides my foster dogs and puppies, and is generally an endless font of patience and good humor. But this puppy – and I use the term loosely, because he’s somewhere between 10 months and a year old, but still possessed of many puppy-like qualities – this puppy had seemingly inspired Otto to misbehave in all sorts of odd ways. He chewed up some shoes, repeatedly dug a trench around a favorite orange tree in my yard, kept getting caught chasing the cats – and on one notable occasion, for the first time in his life, took off after a deer when we were out on a walk in a local wildlife area and didn’t “leave it” or immediately come back when I called him. He’s scared up many a deer or jackrabbit on our hikes (as well as feral cats and one time, a skunk, on our walks along the river that runs through our town), but since his first few months with us as an adolescent youngster himself, hasn’t given chase for more than a few dozen yards before responding to my calls of “Otto,off! Otto, HERE!” Given that we live in a relatively wildlife-rich area, in those early days, we worked on that “emergency recall” several times a day for MONTHS, and I’ve always regarded it as rock-solid. It was, until Diamond the foster-pup arrived.
Right after I wrote that blog post and sent it to our publishing headquarters for the tech guys to post it, I had a cup of coffee and thought again about the whole issue of Otto’s sudden malfeasance. And it hit me like a bolt of lightning: DUH – he’s stressed! This puppy has just really pushed his stress buttons, and all these ways he’s misbehaving are a result of his increased stress levels! Poor Otto!
A number of different authors have written about stress and its effects on dogs for WDJ; I’ve counseled dozens of friends about the signs of stress their dogs exhibited; and I just didn’t recognize it in my own dog. Granted, he hasn’t been walking around yawning or panting or looking in any way different than he usually does. But I should have seen that his misbehaviors were signs of stress in themselves.
What’s so stressful? Mainly, the pup – a teenager, really – has a really annoying way of fawning all over Otto. He constantly jumps up and licks at Otto’s lips like a very young, deferent puppy, and “does the worm” alongside Otto – wriggling wildly along the ground with his tail wagging wildly. A friend of mine used to use the expression “writhing and flopping” – this describes Diamond perfectly, at least, when he’s near Otto. He more or less ignores Tito the Chihuahua.
Now that I’m looking for it, I see that the effect of this exaggerated behavior does seem to wear on Otto. He’s ordinarily very patient with puppies, if not exactly warm and fuzzy with them. But Diamond gets on his nerves, and he frequently growls and snaps at Diamond (albeit with his tail wagging and seemingly without totally losing his temper). He never hurts Diamond, but it seems like he’s saying, “Seriously, dude, get OFF of me! Leave me ALONE!”
My son watched the two dogs together for about five minutes and commented, “Diamond is aggressively submissive.” It’s an apt description. I’m going to have to consult some behaviorists. Is that a thing?
Well, tests have confirmed that the stress of this relationship was definitely responsible for Otto’s misbehaviors. Last Monday, the foster went off to a prospective home for three days. Otto was absolutely his former self. No chewing, no cat-chasing, no digging, perfect recall. I mentally chastised myself for not “getting it” sooner, and apologized to Otto for taking him and his role in my foster-dog program for granted.
Then the puppy got returned (the young, idealistic girl who fell in love with his picture realized she didn’t have as much time as she needed to work on the formerly feral puppy’s many issues). Now I’m taking care to give Otto some time apart from Diamond every day. For at least a few hours, I let him stay home with my husband while I go to the office with Diamond and Tito. I give Otto some indoor time when Diamond is outside and vice versa. And when a friend came to visit with her dog over the weekend, we took Otto and her dog for a long hike without the annoying puppy, twice. On the first walk, I carried super high-value treats and a long line, in case I needed to go back to square one with Otto’s recall. We kept the dogs very close to us on the trail with frequent recalls and bits of heeling, and rewarded them richly for “checking in” (turning around and looking at us when they got more than a few dozen yards ahead on the trail). I relaxed a bit on the second day, letting Otto get farther ahead or behind on the trail — and when he did see and start to chase a rabbit, and I called “Otto, Off! Otto, HERE!”, he *immediately* left the chase and raced back to me, tail high and eyes sparkling, his old self again.
I hope to place Diamond in a good home as soon as possible, but in the meantime, I’ll be paying more attention to Otto’s mental health, too. Sorry, Otto, and thanks again.
Counter-conditioning involves changing your dog’s association with a scary or arousing stimulus from negative to positive. Desensitization is starting with a very low-level intensity of aversive stimulus until the dog habituates to (or changes his association with) the aversive, and then gradually increasing the strength until the dog is comfortable with the stimulus at full intensity. The easiest way to give most dogs a positive association and to help them become comfortable with a stimulus is with very high-value, really yummy treats. I like to use chicken – canned, baked, or boiled; most dogs love chicken. Here’s how the CC&D process works.
1. Determine the distance at which your dog can be in the presence of another dog and be alert or wary but not extremely fearful or aroused. This is called the threshold distance.
2. With you holding your dog on leash, have a helper present a neutral dog at threshold distance X. (Alternatively, station yourself and your dog at a location where people pass by with their dogs on leash at threshold distance X.) The instant your dog sees the other dog, start feeding bits of chicken, non-stop.
3. After several seconds, have the helper remove the dog, and stop feeding chicken to your dog.
4. Keep repeating steps 1-3 until the presentation of the dog at that distance consistently causes your dog to look at you with a happy smile and a “Yay! Where’s my chicken?” expression. This is a conditioned emotional response (CER) – your dog’s association with the other dog at threshold distance X is now positive instead of negative.
5. Now you need to increase the intensity of the other-dog stimulus. You can do that by decreasing distance by several inches; by increasing the amount of time the neutral dog stays in sight; by increasing movement of the other dog at distance X; by increasing the number of dogs (two or three dogs, instead of one); or increasing the visual “threat” (a large dog instead of a small one, or allowing the neutral dog to make brief eye contact). I’d suggest decreasing distance first in small increments by moving the reactive dog closer to the location where the neutral dog will appear, achieving the CER at each new distance.
6. Then return to distance X and add intensity of the neutral dog, gradually decreasing distance and attaining CERs along the way, until your dog is delighted to have the neutral dog reasonably close.
7. Now, back to distance X, increase intensity again, by having your helper move more quickly with the neutral dog, have the dog do more vigorous behaviors – roll over, catch a ball, etc.
8. Repeat until you have the CER, then gradually increase the length of time you have your dog in the presence of the increased-intensity neutral dog, until he’s happy (but not aroused) to have it present continuously.
9. Begin decreasing distance in small increments, moving the dog closer to the stimulus, obtaining the CER consistently at each new distance.
10. When your dog is happy to have the higher intensity neutral dog stimulus close to him, you’re ready for the final phase. Return to distance X and obtain your CER there, with a full intensity neutral dog – zigzagging toward him, then approaching head-on. Gradually decrease distance until your dog is happy to be in the presence of other dog, regardless of that dog’s behavior. He now thinks the other dog is a very good thing, as a reliable predictor of very yummy treats.
The more intense the reactive dog’s response, the more challenging the behavior is to modify. A fear response is more challenging to modify than an excitement response. True anxieties and phobias generally require a greater commitment to a longer term and more in-depth modification program than less intense fear-based behaviors (see “How an Intense Behavior Modification Program Saved One Puppy’s Life”).
With your dog sitting at your side, hold her food bowl at chest level, and tell her to “wait.” Move the bowl (with food it in, topped with tasty treats) toward the floor 4 to 6 inches. If your dog stays sitting, click your clicker and feed her a treat from the bowl. If your dog gets up, say “Oops!” and ask her to sit again. If she remains sitting, lower the bowl 4 to 6 inches again, click and treat.
Repeat this step several times until she consistently remains sitting as you lower the bowl. Gradually move the bowl closer to the floor with succeeding repetitions until you can place it on the floor without your dog trying to get up or eat it. Finally, place the bowl on the floor and tell her to eat. After she has had a few bites, lift the bowl up and try again, lowering the bowl a little farther this time. Repeat these steps until you can place the bowl on the floor in one motion and she doesn’t move until you tell her she can.
Generalize the “Wait” to other training scenarios by controlling the delivery of the reinforcer. For example, for “wait at the door,” have your dog sit and wait while you move your hand toward the door a few inches, click and treat. If she gets up, say Oops!” and have her sit again while you move your hand toward the door one inch. Click and treat. Gradually move your hand closer toward the doorknob, then jiggle the doorknob, then open the door a crack, then wider and wider until you can open the door without her getting up. If she gets up while you are opening the door, say “Oops!”, close the door, and try again. When she will wait with the door wide open, you can sometimes release her to go out the door, and sometimes go out the door without her.
This protocol was used with great success to reduce a challenging puppy’s biting and to increase his tolerance for restraint (see the referring article, “How an Intense Behavior Modification Program Saved One Puppy’s Life“). It can be used to help highly fearful or feral dogs learn to accept and enjoy human contact, too.
1. Touch dog’s shoulder with one hand, feed treat with other hand, remove both hands.
2. Repeat multiple times until touch to the shoulder elicits an automatic look for the other hand to arrive with treat.
It’s amazing how quickly high-value treats can transform a frightened dog’s attitude about touch or restraint.
3. Move touch process to various other parts of dog’s head and body until a touch anywhere on the dog elicits an auto-look for the delivery of a treat. Pay extra attention to any body part where your touch seems to elicit a more intense response from the dog.
4. Start over again at the dog’s shoulder, gradually increasing the duration of touch up to five seconds, feeding bits of treat the entire time. Repeat multiple times, gradually reducing the frequency of treat feeding during the five-second touch.
5. Move the five-second touch process to various other parts of the dog’s body, gradually reducing the frequency of treat feeding at each new touch location.
6. Return to dog’s shoulder, gradually increasing restraint pressure during five-second touch, feeding bits of treat the entire time. Repeat multiple times, gradually reducing the frequency of treat feeding during the five-second touch.
Within just a few repetitions of brief touch followed by treats, this recently feral dog is beginning to relax.
7. Continuing at the dog’s shoulder, gradually increase restraint pressure to ten seconds, feeding bits of treats as necessary to maintain positive association with touch and restraint, and to prevent any mouthing behavior.
8. Move the five-second restraint process to various other parts of the dog’s body, gradually reducing treat-feeding frequency at each new touch location.
9. Gradually increase restraint pressure to 10 seconds at various body part locations, feeding bits of treats as necessary.
10. Randomize touch, restraint, and duration, touching various places in succession, gradually increasing maximum duration of restraint, always feeding bits of treats as necessary to maintain positive association with touch and restraint.
The Gold Paw Program was developed by the Humane Society of Washington County, Maryland, (HSWC) to help identify and work with dogs who have the potential to be someone’s beloved companion, but need some help getting there. Gold Paw volunteers undergo extensive training in canine behavior so they are prepared to provide these dogs with the help they need.
–The following no-cost training is required for all Gold Paw volunteers:
–Complete the basic shelter volunteer orientation.
–Complete a one-day training on canine body language presented by shelter staff.
–Attend and complete a second full-day training on dog behavior, offered by certified trainer Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA. At the end of this training, volunteers are assessed to determine their home environment and dog handling and behavior modification skills, and a designation is made as to which types of behavior problem dogs may be assigned to them.
–When a Gold Paw candidate is identified, program staff contacts volunteers who are designated for that type of behavior. When a potential Gold Paw volunteer is selected, the volunteer meets with Pat Miller and the dog; if it’s a good match, the volunteer then receives individual training specific to that dog.
–The volunteer works with the program protocol provided by Pat Miller, provides weekly check-in reports via Internet, and does in-person check-ins as needed, depending on the individual dog. For some dogs this may be a commitment of several months.
–Gold Paw foster care volunteers must love dogs and want to help them have a better chance of finding their forever homes. Their home environment and schedule must lend themselves to working with dogs who have special behavioral needs. Those needs will vary from dog to dog, and are instrumental in determining which dog is assigned to which volunteer.
HSWC is committed to using dog-friendly handling, training, and behavior modification methods. Studies have determined gentle, non-coercive training/ behavior modification to be the most effective and least likely to give rise to collateral damage. Unwanted side effects of force-based training include fear, anxiety, and aggression.
Volunteers must be willing to use gentle, dog-friendly tools and handling methods with Gold Paw dogs. The program does not use or tolerate the use of choke chains, prong collars, shock collars, or any other form of physical punishment.
–Finally, volunteers need to understand that we cannot save them all, as much as we would like to. While we expect a high success rate with this program, there may be occasions when we reach a sad conclusion that a dog is too damaged to proceed with the program. The truly compassionate heart accepts when it’s time to let go, as painful as that can be. We promise that we make a full commitment to every dog in our Gold Paw program, and will do everything within our power to help them succeed.
Squid (imitating a gargoyle from a New York city skyscraper) and his proud owner, Claudia Husemann.
Squid almost didn’t make it to the adoption option at the Humane Society of Washington County (HSWC), Maryland. Whole Dog Journal readers who have been with us for a year or more already know part of his story: the eight-week-old Jack Russell Terrier mix was surrendered to our full-service shelter by his owners because they “didn’t have time for him.” (See “Chill Out,” WDJ May 2011.) What that really meant was that the small white-and-tan pup was a heckuva handful: they couldn’t deal with his incredibly high energy level, fierce puppy play-biting, low tolerance for frustration, lack of impulse control, resource guarding, and sudden, intense aggression when restrained. He easily failed his behavior assessment. It’s a good thing he was impossibly cute!
A rare early photo of Squid sitting still. Teaching him to sit in order to “say please” for anything he wanted played a big role in “civilizing” the strong-willed, energetic puppy.
I arrived at the shelter on a Tuesday morning in early spring of 2011 and was met by a shelter staff member, paperwork in hand, a pleading expression on her face.
“This pup failed his assessment,” she said, handing me Squid’s paperwork. “Do you think he’d be a candidate for the Gold Paw program?”
Gold Paw was a newly launched shelter program that I helped create. It was designed to give “marginal” puppies and adult dogs a chance for lifelong loving homes. The program encouraged staff and volunteers to identify canines with adoption potential but who had one or more behavioral challenges that might make them ineligible for adoption, or significantly decrease the likelihood of success in a new home.
If a dog was accepted into the program, he was then placed in a capable foster home for behavior modification. The foster parents would work closely with me to implement a program custom-designed for each dog.
Staff described Squid’s difficult behaviors, and I took a quick look at him. As a young, too-cute-for-words, otherwise highly desirable adoption prospect, Squid was an ideal candidate for the program. Only problem was, the program was so new we hadn’t yet recruited any Gold Paw foster homes. So Squid came home with me to Peaceable Paws for his behavior modification. Between me, my husband Paul, Peaceable Paws staff and apprentices, and our upcoming trainer academies, surely we could fix this pup!
Miller’s other dogs, including Lucy (seen here), helped to tire the relentless pup.
We started by identifying all Squid’s inappropriate behaviors and creating a modification plan for each. Some of the pieces overlapped, so it wasn’t quite as daunting as it might appear – but it was still plenty to work on!
Structure and Consistency We put some rules in place to ensure that no one would reinforce Squid’s inappropriate behaviors, to give him lots of reinforcement for making appropriate behavior choices, and to provide him an environment with clear structure and consistency.
Everyone who interacted with him was to implement the “say please” program to reinforce self-control; Squid needed to sit to get his kennel door opened, to have his leash put on, and to gain access to toys, treats, and attention. An inappropriate puppy nip triggered an “Oops!” and removal of human attention. Because he was so inclined to puppy biting, touching was kept to a minimum unless the handler was actively working on his touch- and restraint-protocol.
The other dogs also helped him learn a little something about modifying the pressure of his bites. Lucy bloodied Squid’s ear after he bit her too hard; Squid was careful to be gentler after that.
Squid would live in a stall in the barn and in one of the kennels adjoining the training center. His energy and intensity were too much to add to the Miller household of five dogs and three cats – particularly too much for Scooter, our Pomeranian. Their one encounter traumatized Scooter badly enough that he suffered a life-threatening bout of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis; it took him several weeks to fully recover.
Exercise was a critical part of Squid’s program. All that energy had to go somewhere – and the best place for it was on the fields and in the woods of our 80-acre campus. Every day, weather permitting, I took Squid for at least two, preferably three long hikes; sometimes with Missy, our Australian Shepherd, and Lucy, our Cardigan Corgi, and sometimes by himself. On days we couldn’t hike, we ran him in circles with a flirt pole and encouraged him to chase toys in the barn until he was tired.
The hikes with the other dogs were good for his dog-dog socialization as well as energy draining. Lucy was particularly good at letting him know when his puppy biting was inappropriately painful – even to the point, early on, that on one occasion she snagged his ear and drew blood with a bite of her own. His bites to Lucy were noticeably less intense after that! He also joined the Miller dogs (Scooter excepted) helping with barn chores morning and night.
Time for Good Manners Of course, basic good manners training was on Squid’s to-do list. A conveniently scheduled Level 1 Trainer Academy was the perfect venue to get him started. He was assigned to a pair of trainers who worked with him every day for a week, teaching him sit, down, come, leave it, trade, targeting, and wait. He tested the patience of his trainers with his sharp puppy teeth, but they discovered the value of using a camping food-squeeze tube for treat-delivery to a hard-mouthed pup, and did an excellent job providing him with a solid foundation for his future training.
A Peaceable Paws Academy student works with Squid on good manners behaviors. We were fortunate to have people available to work with him in a consistent way.
Apprentices continued his training, dropping in on our regular good manners classes as time and space allowed, as did I, on our one-on-one hikes around the farm. During classes he began to demonstrate some reactivity to other dogs; his desire to interact with them, combined with his low tolerance for frustration, manifested as excited barking when he was restrained on leash in their presence. Another behavior to add to his modification list!
Modification Protocols I started Squid’s behavior modification program the day I brought him home, with a protocol designed to reduce his puppy biting and increase his tolerance for restraint (see sidebar, “Touch/Restraint Desensitization Protocol“). We practiced this protocol for only brief periods at first, gradually increasing the duration of our sessions as he grew to enjoy touch and restraint. I also made it a point to always carry a soft toy with me, so I could occupy his teeth with the toy to forestall inappropriate grabs to skin, clothing, and leash.
We practiced this protocol for only brief periods at first, gradually increasing the duration of our sessions as he grew to enjoy touch and restraint. I also made it a point to always carry a soft toy with me, so I could occupy his teeth with the toy to forestall inappropriate grabs to skin, clothing, and leash.
In order to reinforce self-control behaviors, Squid learned “sit” as his default behavior, and we began practicing “wait.” We taught “wait for your food bowl” as a training exercise, and then had Squid wait for everything we could think of: he waited for kennel and stall doors to open; he waited for his food bowl; he waited to go in and out of the training center; he waited to take his toy; and he waited to have his leash attached.
As Squid began to develop some ability to control his biting, we worked on teaching him to take treats gently. If the bite was unbearably hard, I would say “Ouch” in a calm tone of voice and remove my hand. If it was less hard, I would hold the treat in a closed fist and wait for his bite to soften almost imperceptibly before releasing it to him. Over time, we shaped a softer and softer bite, although as often is common with hard-biting dogs, the intensity of his bite would quickly increase again if he was excited.
Squid was clearly making good progress, but we were still concerned about his level of arousal in the presence of other dogs. He wasn’t aggressively reactive, just excited, but it was reactivity all the same, and excitement-based reactivity can easily develop into aggression as the dog matures and arousal increases, if the behavior isn’t modified. An upcoming Behavior Modification Academy was the perfect venue to address this behavior.
Trainer Bob Ryder, of Pawsitive Transformations, uses counter-conditioning and desensitization to modify Squid’s budding dog-reactive behavior.
Trainer Bob Ryder of Pawsitive Transformations in Normal, Illinois, was assigned to work with Squid for the week. He continued to work with the touch desensitization protocol, wait, and basic good manners behaviors, but was also instructed to make a reactivity counter-conditioning and desensitization program a high priority. Bob set to work giving Squid a strong “Where’s my chicken?” response to the presence of other dogs, and by the end of the week the bright little dog was happily and politely controlling his “go see the other dog” impulse in the presence of his academy canine companions.
Squid Goes Home Squid had been at Peaceable Paws for six weeks of intensive training and behavior modification by now, and it showed – he had become quite civilized. My husband Paul and I had grown very attached to the little guy. If it weren’t for Scooter’s intense dislike of him, he might have stayed. But we knew it would be impossible to integrate him into our household. It was time to find him a forever home.
But how? Even given his excellent progress, he needed to go to an above-average owner who would be able to continue his lessons and keep him on the straight and narrow path to adult canine civility. It would have to be an exceptional placement to meet with the high standards of the Miller Adoption Agency! I emailed his information to Jack Russell Terrier Rescue and the organizers posted information about him on their website. I also posted information about Squid on Facebook.
I received a number of applications, but none of the potential adopters were perfect for a dog with Squid’s energy and issues. Then I received a response from positive reinforcement trainer Lydia DesRosche, in New York City. She had a client, she said, who would be perfect for Squid. Claudia Husemann had just recently lost her well-loved Doberman to old age, and was looking for a smaller “apartment-sized” dog to fill the empty place in her heart and her home.
“New York City?” Paul protested. “But Squid’s a country dog!” Nevertheless, Claudia traveled the 275 miles from New York to Fairplay, Maryland to meet Squid, and immediately fell in love. Of course! Yes, she wanted to adopt him. Her application was impeccable, and she had the added credential of already having a relationship with a committed positive trainer.
Claudia returned to the Big Apple to await the shelter’s background check and adoption decision, already making plans to move Squid into her life. Several days later, adoption approved and neutering done, Claudia drove the nine-hour round-trip again, to pick up her new boy. Squid was moving on. With tears in our eyes we bade him a sad farewell, knowing we would miss the big presence of this little dog, and knowing he was in good hands. In mid-May 2011, Squid became “New York Squiddy,” and traded the fields of Fairplay for the haunts of Central Park.
Happily, Claudia has stayed in close contact and has provided the perfect home for Squid. She keeps us posted on his exploits in Central Park. We treasure the videos that Claudia and Lydia post on Youtube and Facebook, allowing us to watch as Squid learns to ring a bell, ride a skateboard, use the Manners Minder, play with a flying disc, and more. The behaviors that caused him to fail his shelter assessment are long forgotten. Live long and prosper, little Squid!
A dog fight that goes beyond a brief scuffle and doesn’t resolve quickly is frightening to behold. In fact, it’s one of the behavior scenarios most likely to result in significant injury to humans, not to mention the dogs. The first, most important thing to remember is keep yourself safe. After that, here are five things to do to try to end the conflict as quickly as possible, with minimal bloodshed.
1. Spray me a river. Blast the dogs with water from a nearby hose – assuming a nearby hose with a powerful enough spray. An easily portable aversive such as lemon juice in a spray bottle can be an effective alternative. In a pinch, even a fire extinguisher makes a handy and effective fight-stopping tool.
2. Sound strategies. Depending on the intensity of the fight, a loud yell might put it to rest. Try dropping one (or several) metal pans on the floor. A lit match held under a smoke detector alarm might also do the trick. Available at boating supply stores, a marine air horn can be effective at breaking up a fight. Warning: they are loud!
3. An object lesson. Keep your hands out of the danger zone by using a physical object to break up a fight. (You have to plan in advance.) Attach two handles to a sheet of plywood. When a fight happens, lower the board between the sparring dogs. The board will push them apart and provide a physical barrier between them to prevent a new grab.
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Dogfighters – and some bully breed owners who don’t fight their dogs but know their dogs’ potential – always carry a “parting stick” or “breaking stick” with them. This is often a carved hammer or axe handle, tapered to a rounded point at one end. When dogs are locked in combat, the parting stick is forced between a dog’s teeth and turned sideways to pry open the jaws. Caution: Parting sticks can break teeth, and a dog whose jaws have just been “parted” may turn on the person doing the parting.
Tossed over fighters, one over each, blankets muffle outside stimuli, reducing arousal. This also allows humans to physically separate the combatants by picking up the dogs and pulling them apart with less risk of a serious bite; the blanket will cushion the effect of teeth on skin if the dog does whirl and bite.
4. Air supply. When life and limb are at stake, extreme measures may be called for. Wrap a leash round the aggressor’s neck or twist his collar to cut off his airflow. When he lets go for a breath of air, pull the dogs apart. You can also cover the dog’s nose with a plastic bag to cut off the air supply. These are more challenging than they sound. It’s difficult to get a leash around the neck of a dog who is “attached” by mouth to another dog; grabbing a collar to twist puts you at risk of being bitten and your fingers at risk of getting caught in the collar; and the nose is a moving target.
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5. Let’s get physical. I heard about (never tried) a rather drastic technique observed at a dog show decades ago. The elderly judge was a tiny woman. When two dogs got combative in her ring she had the handlers both grab their dogs and hold on tight. Then she took the dog on top by the tail and jammed her thumb up his rectum. He let go in an instant and whirled around to see what was happening. The judge excused the two dogs, calmly washed her hands, and continued her classes. Note: A client of mine tried this recently. It didn’t work for her.
Here’s another approach for smallish dogs in a one-on-one fight; it is not recommended for a multi-dog brawl. Lift the rear of the clearly identified aggressor so he’s suspended with forefeet barely touching the ground. The dog lets go, and the target can scoot free. Supposedly, in this position the dog is not able to turn on the human suspending him, although I’m not giving any guarantees.
There are no guarantees for any of these methods; the best answer is management and modification. If you have dogs who fight, keep them apart, unless and until they learn to get along. The best of management plans can fail, however. If and when that fight happens, take a deep breath, resist your instincts to leap into the fray, quickly review your available options, and choose the one (or ones) that are most likely to work in that place and time. When the fight is over and no one is being rushed to the hospital in an ambulance, remember to take a moment to relax and breathe, and then congratulate yourself for your quick thinking.
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I’ve fostered a dog or puppy from the shelter six or seven times since I’ve had Otto – and he’s been a huge help in the fostering process. He models good behavior. He responds immediately to cues and in the process, shows the other dogs how to earn rewards. He comes immediately when called, in such an enthusiastic manner, that the other dog comes running toward me, too, just to see what the excitement is all about (and then of course everyone gets treats, which helps install the roots of a nice recall in the foster dog, too). Otto puts up with their playful behavior, plays a bit with them himself, but also enforces polite canine behavior. He won’t, for example, tolerate a puppy climbing all over him, jumping on him – or even picking on Tito the Chihuahua. He steps in with authority and firmness and says (with an audible growl and some impressive snarling), “No way, Jose. Not on my watch.” And yet, he’s never hurt a single errant pup.
However, something’s gone wrong with my currant foster, a formerly feral pup, an Australian Cattle Dog-mix about 10 to 12 months old. He was brought into my local shelter by county animal control officers on the end of a catch pole, writhing and snapping like the scared-to-death wild animal that he was, along with a human-friendly mother (he looks just like her) and a pup who looked to be about 4 months old who was just as wild as the older pup but still young enough to more quickly accept a human touch. All three had been left abandoned on a ranch owned by a senior gentleman who had passed away. Neighbors called animal control because they saw that no one was feeding the animals; an investigation revealed that the deceased had no relatives.
Consensus at the shelter was that the friendly mom and the young pup were good candidates for adoption. This guy was not, so I took him on as a project. Another volunteer and I spent time with him in a kennel at the shelter every day for a week, until we were able to get a collar on him and get him to accept treats. Then I brought him home, and started socializing him in earnest. He attached himself like glue to Otto’s side, which was pretty much the only way I was able to catch him and put a leash on him every day to pet him and bring him in the house, get him in and out of my car, walk around the neighborhood, and introduce him to friends. The relationship was all good for him, but it’s weird: it’s had the opposite effect on Otto. He’s started doing some naughty things he hasn’t done for years.
For example: Otto doesn’t chase my cats. The foster dog does. When I’m outside with all the animals, I’m able to say, Hey! – interrupting the behavior and diverting his attention with something else (Look! Here’s a ball!) Same thing with my chickens – although it took a squirt of a hose when he was rushing the fence and barking at them in their pen to get him to break off the behavior and “hear” me when I was saying Hey! No! But when I’m in the house, he’ll still take a run at one of the cats; I can see him doing it through the kitchen windows. And here’s the thing: Otto is joining in! I saw the two of them merrily chase one of the cats across the yard (she ran under a shed), and Otto was in the lead.
In the past few days, Otto has also dug a huge hole under one of our orange trees (pup was in the house at the time, he has an alibi!). It used to be that Otto would dig in hot weather, to find a cool place to take a nap, but it’s cold and wet and muddy right now! I also caught Otto chewing one of my shoes out on the deck! He may not have been the one that dragged it outside, but it was in his teeth when I spotted him – and when he saw me, he immediately let it fall out of his mouth like he had just been told it was poison.
My husband’s explanation: “Otto has let having a minion go to his head. It’s turned him evil!”
The good news is, someone who saw a picture of the pup on the shelter website came to meet him yesterday, and is going to the shelter today to apply to adopt him. I think it’s a good home, and he will be leaving my house in a day or so. I’m happy for him – but am curious to see how Otto will respond without his “minion.” Will he go back to being Mr. Perfect? Or will I be taking him back to behavior reform school?
Have you ever had a canine “bad influence” in your home? What happened? What did you do?
On the first day of the Crufts dog show in early March, the Kennel Club in England confirmed that business as usual wasn’t so usual anymore. This year marked the start of reforms put into place after the game-changing BBC documentary – Jemima Harrison’s “Pedigreed Dogs Exposed” – shocked the country with images of dogs so structurally unsound that the normal life of a dog was impossible.
The result? Independent veterinary review of the judges’ selections for Best of Breed Bulldog and Pekingese deemed the dogs too unhealthy to be granted their awards. And this was just on day 1. What’s next?!
I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall in the private rooms at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, where the massive four-day show is held every year. But thanks to the Internet, I didn’t have to be present to get the outrage:
“Please look at what has happened . . . most people have no idea what goes into creating a sound and healthy example of this breed,” someone who follows me on Facebook posted to my wall. And then she linked to a blog post on a dog-show website. “The supposed injuries could not be deemed genetic in origin and in the case of Ch Mellowmood One In A Million, she had passed her health clearances in December of 2011,” she added. “She has also garnered 20 cc’s [top breed honors] as well as the coveted Bulldog of the Year title in 2011 and the Best In Show title in the Bulldog Inc show. Bulldoggers worldwide are united against this ruling!”
Except, well, not. Because while the breed-ring diehards are outraged, the ruling was indeed met with shock among dog-lovers worldwide – shock that at last the dog-show world appears poised to start doing something about the suffering of dogs bred to fashionable extremes.
The fast-dwindling ranks of True Believers see a conspiracy here. From the post on the dog show site:
“Now here is the real rub. It is the vet, who may or may not have ever bred a litter in his/her life, who makes the determination as to whether the Breed winner is worthy of the award, not the judge. . . . [M]any of you have already run across vets who are not sympathetic to our hobby.”
Count me in as another who is not sympathetic to the “hobby.” I have attended two world-class veterinary conferences where veterinary surgeons and internists argued that these extreme structural malformations have produced dogs whose respiratory systems are so brutally compromised that they need to have corrective surgery in adolescence to have a chance at a dog’s normal life. If breeding for these traits isn’t animal cruelty, it’s hard to imagine what is.
This blowback is not coming from animal-rights extremists. It’s coming from people who have purebred dogs and love them, people inside the dog-show world as well those who just love a particular breed. And yes, it’s coming from veterinarians who are no longer as willing to shrug sadly and look away from the problems.
Enough. As for those of you who continue to support this dead-end “sport” as it is, well, good luck to you, because you see, common sense, time, and public opinion are all on the other side.
Gina Spadafori is a syndicated pet-care columnist and the author of more than dozen books on animals and their care. She is also the writing partner of “Good Morning America” veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker. After her champion Flat-Coated Retriever was recently diagnosed with a rare cancer that kills up to half of all Flatcoats before the age of 8, she started The McKenzie Project to challenge the closed-registry system that perpetuates health problems in purebred dogs.
It’s a ton of fun to see an athletic, healthy dog sprinting across a sprawling lawn of thick green grass – but could this practice be dangerous to the dog’s health? A study presented in the January 2012 issue of the journal Environmental Research concluded that exposure to professionally applied lawn pesticides was associated with a significantly (70 percent) higher risk of canine malignant lymphoma (CML).
It’s a broad conclusion and light on specifics. The case-control study, conducted between January 2000 and December 2006 at the Foster Hospital for Small Animals at Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, was structured around a 10-page questionnaire that was mailed to dog owners who were having their pets treated at the Foster Hospital; the resulting data came from the owners of 266 dogs with confirmed cases of CML and 478 dogs in two control groups (non-CML cases).
The questionnaire was not included in the article; a summary stated that it covered a wide variety of data considerations, including breed, weight, medical history, and the types of chemicals used in the home. The characteristics of the CML cases did not vary much from the controls, other than in the weight category (the CML dogs tended to weigh more than 50 pounds). Exposure to types of flea and tick products and frequency of administration was similar among the groups, as was overall exposure to lawn care products.
What did show cause for concern was that the CML cases were more likely to live in homes that reported professionally applied pesticides and herbicides, though the results were only marginally significant for the herbicides. Exposure to other types of professionally applied lawn care products was not associated with increased risk. There was an increased risk, however, for dogs who live in homes where owners applied lawn-care products containing insect growth regulators – substances that inhibit the development of insect eggs and larvae.
One disappointment: specific lawn care chemicals or insect-growth regulators were not identified. Instead, the umbrella categories of herbicide, pesticide, insect growth regulators, fungicide, rodenticide, and fertilizer were used. It could be that some of these chemicals are already designated as known carcinogenics. The article notes that studies evaluating frequency of exposure and exposure dose are needed; thus it appears that the researchers did not determine which chemicals the dogs were exposed to, in what quantities, or for how long.
Also disappointing was the fact that genetic factors were apparently not considered as part of the study. Three-fourths of the CML dogs were classified as purebred, as was the control group. The incidence rate of CML is not the same for all breeds; increased risk has been reported for several breeds including Basset Hounds, Boxers, Airedales, Golden Retrievers, Saint Bernards, Bulldogs, Bullmastiffs, and Scottish Terriers. This predisposition could indicate an inherited characteristic.
Like the canary in the mineshaft, dogs can serve as sentinels for human disease because they are our close companions and are subjected to many of the same environmental influences. Canine cancers have the same biology and behavior as human cancers, and in some cases have identical histology and response rates to treatment. The goal of this study was to identify risk factors for CML from exposure to environmental chemicals in an effort to provide insight to risk factors for humans in developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Keep in mind that exposure to lawn care products is different for canines than it is for humans. People can know if a lawn has been recently treated with chemicals and thus avoid it and take precautions when handling such chemicals. Our pets have no such option; their uncovered and unprotected bodies come in direct contact with the environment. They see an enticing outdoor carpet, perfect for rolling around on, running across, playing fetch and wrestling with playmates on, and even ingesting. Dogs have their mouths on everything: themselves (grooming), their playmates, their toys and sticks lying in the grass, and yes, the grass itself. And those mouths can be the conduit from external to internal exposure.
Though more study is needed, the preliminary findings of this study suggest that you can reduce your dog’s risk through the following:
–Don’t use pesticides on your own lawns, or allow lawn-service providers to use them on your property.
–Don’t use lawn care products that contain insect growth regulators.
–Prevent your dog from walking on (or rolling on, eating, etc.) any lawns, unless you are able to determine that absolutely no pesticides are used to maintain them. (Most municipalities are required to make their chemical lawn-care regimens available to the public. It says something about these chemicals that their use is prohibited on most public school grounds.)
Because only one out of five Americans has an up-to-date will and only 20 percent of those include provisions for pets, an estimated 500,000 dogs and cats are euthanized every year when their owners die and they have nowhere to go. Is your dog at risk?
Unless you make effective plans for your dog’s welfare in case you die or are incapacitated, the worst could happen.
When setting up a pet trust, it helps to work with an attorney who is familiar with what pets need. Estate planning attorney Heidi Goettel reviews pet trust details with author CJ Puotinen and Seamus, her husband’s Cairn Terrier. Photo by Stephen Nagy
But preparing for your pet’s future can seem a daunting task. Wills, trusts, and financial instruments are complicated enough. Add caretakers, backup caretakers, specific instructions, and veterinary care. No wonder so many of us just hope we’ll outlive our pets.
“Lifetime care planning for pets doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive, or overwhelming,” says estate-planning attorney Heidi Goettel of Helena, Montana. “Pet owners have many options, and the peace of mind good planning provides is worth the effort.”
Don’t Leave Your Dog’s Future to Chance
If you assume that a friend or relative will love Fluffy as much as you do or that someone will always be there for Fido, think again. Every animal shelter in the country deals with orphaned pets. They arrive for one reason: their owners didn’t plan to die or become incapacitated. That didn’t prevent them from having heart attacks or accidents, and now Fido and Fluffy are homeless.
Worse, they may be alone, starving, and frightened. Does anyone know they exist? Do they need medication? Are they on special diets?
Accidents can happen anywhere at any time, but the following are risk factors for your companion animals:
-You live alone.
-You are a senior citizen, or getting close.
-You have health problems.
-Your pets are elderly or have health problems.
-Your pets are shy or don’t do well when their daily routines are disturbed.
-Even a temporary incapacity – you are hospitalized, require treatment away from home, or have to be away for other reasons – can disrupt your pets’ lives.
Establish a Pet Protection Agreement
The best way to prevent your pets from being harmed by your temporary or long-term absence, say legal experts, is through careful planning.
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person names one or more people to manage his or her estate and transfer its property at death.
You cannot leave money or property to an animal, but you can leave assets to a person who agrees to care for your pet. Even if the person who agrees to take your pet can afford to pay for the animal’s upkeep, you may want to leave both the animal and a sum of money to that individual.
If a financial inheritance will be a hardship for your dog’s new owner (for example, if the money makes that person ineligible for financial assistance from Social Security or another agency), or if the person might not be able to manage a lump sum inheritance, you can leave your pet to the caretaker and the money to another person with instructions for reimbursing the new owner for dog-related expenses.
Because wills are not acted upon immediately – there is a waiting period before wills are read and property changes hands, and, should legal disputes arise, final settlements can be prolonged for months or years – a will cannot guarantee that an animal’s needs will be met in a timely manner. A will that includes specific instructions for an animal’s care cannot be enforced. Wills do not allow the disbursement of funds over a pet’s lifetime. Courts can change the provisions of a will that is challenged by relatives or other interested parties.
These potential problems do not mean wills should not include provisions for pets. Instead, they reflect the need for additional arrangements.
Pet trusts are just such plans. They involve a trustee, which can be an individual, a bank, or a non-profit organization such as a humane society, which handles the finances; a beneficiary, who is the person you choose as your dog’s new owner and caretaker; and you, the settlor, the dog owner who is setting up the trust.
“Technically,” says Goettel, “the animals are the beneficiaries of pet trusts. The caretaker definitely benefits from there being a trust for the animal, and the funds go to the caretaker for practical purposes, but when the beneficiary is defined as the animal or for the benefit of the animal, the trustee, who may also be the caretaker, is legally obligated to use the trust funds for the animal’s care.”
A traditional pet trust, which is legal in all 50 states, instructs a trustee to help a beneficiary by paying for the pet’s expenses according to the settlor’s directions as long as the beneficiary takes proper care of the pet. Traditional pet trusts provide the owner with significant control over the animal’s care, such as by specifying who will be the trustee, who will be the beneficiary/caretaker, what pet-related expenses the trustee will pay, what type of care the pet will receive, what will happen if the caretaker can no longer care for the animal, whether the animal will be buried or cremated after death, and where the pet’s remains will be interred or stored.
A statutory pet trust, which may also be known as an honorary pet trust, is valid during the pet owner’s life as well as after his or her death. This type of trust controls the disbursement of funds, which can occur prior to the owner’s death, and it can include specific instructions for the animal’s care. As of 2010, all states within the United States except for Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, and West Virginia allow this type of trust, which is more flexible than the traditional trust and does not require the pet owner to make as many decisions regarding its terms. State law “fills the gaps,” making a simple provision in a will or other document (such as, “I leave $3,500 in trust for the care of my dogs, Ranger and Rover”) effective.
“When state law ‘fills the gaps,'” explains Goettel, “the owner’s intentions are followed even if they are hand-written on a sheet of paper. This is the simplest arrangement you can make for your pet. It works best if you and your designated caretaker have already discussed your plans and that person understands and agrees with your wishes.”
Baillie, a therapy dog belonging to Marilyn Grant of Helena, MT, will always have a forever home thanks to carefully selected friends who will care for him should she not be able to. Estate planning experts say that finding a willing caregiver is the most important step in planning a pet’s lifetime care. Photo by CJ Puotinen.
A revocable living trust allows you to avoid probate, the legal process for transferring property after death. A living trust lets you make changes or amendments to the trust document; allows the transfer of your personal assets to remain private rather than public; and eliminates most of the family disputes and challenges that a standard will can create. However, revocable trusts provide minimal asset protection, they can generate planning and administrative expenses, and assets must be transferred into the trust name (which won’t affect your access to them).
A testamentary trust is less expensive because it does not take effect until after you die and your will is probated (declared valid by a court). This type of trust does not provide funds for the care of a pet during the period between your death and when your will is probated, nor does it protect your pet if you become disabled and unable to provide care.
Pet Trust Factors to Consider
“The most important and challenging factor in providing lifetime care for your dog is finding a 100-percent committed caretaker,” says Goettel. “The owner is in the best position to identify a care provider. Equally important is that the identified caretaker and care plan are in writing and are found when needed, so that the care provider is notified before the animal is surrendered to a shelter or euthanized at the direction of an uninformed third party. It often happens that people do have a plan, but no one knows of it. That is especially tragic.”
Even if a friend or relative promises to take your pets in, promises can’t always be kept. Today’s uncertain economy is hard on pets, who are adversely affected by unemployment, divorce, home foreclosures, and relocations.
Even if your friend or relative remains willing and has a stable home, additional pets can be a source of stress, not to mention expensive. This is especially so if the animals are elderly, on special diets, on presecription medication, require frequent veterinary visits, and have challenging symptoms like incontinence, seizures, severe arthritis, or confusion. Puppies and young dogs place a different kind of stress on caretakers, including their need for training and exercise.
Your caretaker will be your dog’s new owner. Transferring ownership through your will or the establishment of a trust is important because without this provision, your pet will go to your residuary beneficiary (the beneficiary who inherits everything that’s not taken care of by the rest of your will); or, if you don’t have a will, your pet will go to your next of kin, as determined by state law.
Once you find a willing caretaker, it’s important to sit down with that person and review everything that’s important to you. Does your dog eat a home-prepared diet containing special ingredients? Compete in agility? Have a job? Get monthly massages, chiropractic adjustments, hydrotherapy treatments, or acupuncture? Enjoy a cheese-stuffed Kong after dinner? Require frequent trips to the groomer? Special diets, special treatments, special training, and special activities cost time and money. Well-intentioned friends and relatives who don’t share your interests or income may provide a loving home but not necessarily the one you want your dog to have.
Do you have more than one dog? Are they closely attached? Do you know someone who would foster these pets while looking for someone who would adopt them both?
It’s essential that any prospective caretaker understand what he or she might have to provide. If that person has a full-time job, young children, other pets, limited space, and limited time, the burden might be impossible even if your estate paid all the expenses. It’s much better for you and your prospective caretaker to realize this now, while your estate is still in the planning stage, than to have your caretaker discover that the arrangement won’t work after you have passed away. Your dog might be surrendered to the nearest shelter or given to a stranger who knows nothing about you or your pet.
Seamus says, “I’m worried. I don’t see anything about my raw meaty bones guarantee!” It’s important to review all the details, and build alternatives into the plan in case some aspects of your ideal scenario are not feasible for your pet’s caretaker. Photo by Stephen Nagy
Once you find a willing caretaker, look for another one. Having a backup caretaker can save the day if your first choice loses her job, has to move, is in an accident, falls ill, gets divorced, or is for some other reason unable to accept your pet or continue its care. In fact, having at least two backup caretakers and at least two backup trustees (if you create a trust) is recommended.
Another factor to consider is the size of your estate. The larger it is, the more likely your plans will be challenged by relatives, individuals, organizations, or tax collectors. The legal literature describes many cases in which courts sided with plaintiffs who considered an animal’s share of an estate to be excessive or inappropriate. In 2007, real estate billionaire Leona Helmsley died and left $12 million to her Maltese, Trouble. Because Helmsley disinherited several relatives, her will and the dog’s trust were challenged in court, and Trouble’s legacy was reduced to $2 million. In some cases, judges have reduced an animal’s share of an estate to nothing.
An experienced estate-planning lawyer can help you establish a trust that’s more likely to survive with your instructions intact.
To prevent fraud, pet owners should clearly identify pets that are to receive care under a will, pet trust, or powers of attorney. The most effective identification tools are microchips and DNA samples, but detailed descriptions, photographs, and veterinary records can be helpful.
If You Obtained Your Dog with a Contract…
If you purchased your dog from a reputable breeder, you probably signed a contract agreeing to return your dog to the breeder if you cannot keep or are unable to provide for the dog. The same arrangement is used by most animal shelters, service dog programs, and rescue organizations.
“The breeder or organization wants to ensure that the dogs they place always have a good home,” says Goettel. “By making arrangements ahead of time, you spare them the effort and expense of fostering your dogs and finding new homes for them. Most breeders and organizations would be thrilled to learn that the owner or adopter is making plans for the animal, and they would likely make a record of the information. If the care provider does not know about the contract, attaching it to the will or care plan for the animal will ensure that the care provider knows of it and follows its terms. To keep everyone informed, attach your original contract and related correspondence to your will or trust documents, and provide copies of these to everyone involved.”
Make Plans for Future Veterinary Care
Because veterinary care is likely to be the greatest expense incurred by your pet’s new owner, consider the following options for providing the care your dog may need.
If you already have health insurance for your dog, provide funds for keeping it up to date. If your dog does not already have health insurance, consider leaving money for the purchase of health insurance. This option is most appropriate for young dogs in good health as premiums increase as dogs age; some plans exclude dogs age nine and older; most policies have exclusions and limits; and canine health insurance premiums, copays, and deductibles can be just as complicated as they are in human health plans.
You can leave money to your vet. This amount will vary according to your dog’s age and condition along with the treatments you are prepared to pay for. The best way to make this arrangement is through discussion with your vet. You can request that any funds left over when your pet dies be given to a relative, charity, or the veterinarian, though this request is not legally enforcible.
Signing a contract in advance with your veterinarian is a third option. In this case, you leave to the veterinarian a specific amount as credit toward expected services. If and when that money runs out, the new owner will be charged for services provided to your dog. If your dog dies before the money is spent, your contract specifies what will be done with the excess.
If You Can’t Find a Good Caretaker…
If your dog came from a breeder, shelter, or organization that requires the dog’s return, you have a safety net. But what if you don’t know anyone who could care for your pets for the rest of their lives?
Members of dog organizations, such as kennel clubs, dog sport clubs, therapy dog organizations, and rescue organizations, along with those who take their dogs to trainers, can network with fellow members and trainers to find appropriate temporary care (think foster homes) for your dogs if needed.
Many veterinarians are named in wills or trusts as temporary guardians or as the new owners of their clients’ pets. Obviously this arrangement works best when the owner and veterinarian discuss and agree on the details.
The tireless volunteers of rescue organizations save the lives of dogs and cats every day. They provide foster homes, medical care, training, spaying or neutering, and anything else an animal needs to become adoptable. To provide for your animal through a rescue organization, contact the organization now to learn what arrangements will work best.
To find such organizations, search online for your breed, such as Labrador Retriever rescue, Poodle rescue, mixed breed rescue, senior rescue, etc. You’ll find national and regional organizations and networks, some of which are 501(c)3 non-profit organizations, independent organizations, or affiliates of national or regional kennel or breed clubs, all of which are dedicated to matching homeless dogs with good homes. Becoming a volunteer yourself can be a satisfying activity that will keep you informed about fostering and adoption.
Your local animal shelter may be a good choice, especially if your dog is young, healthy, and well behaved, as these dogs find new homes more quickly. Older dogs and dogs with medical problems are usually harder to place, as are dogs with behavioral problems. Shelter volunteers have an inside view of the organization and its adoption process, and because circumstances vary from one shelter to another, becoming a volunteer or consulting with shelter staff about your plans can be an important step toward your dog’s future care.
Pet sanctuaries provide permanent care for the animals they take in. As with conventional shelters, conditions vary from one sanctuary to another, and careful research is a must. Your dog might or might not be happy living for an indefinite time in a sanctuary. Some pet sanctuaries don’t actually provide permanent sanctuary to all of their wards, but seek to rehome as many animals as possible. Before making arrangements to leave your dog to a sanctuary, you should familiarize yourself with the sanctuary’s requirements, and be sure it will accept your animal.
The single owner of two dogs with significant behavioral issues (both exceedingly shy Shar-pei), Mary Straus wrote a pet trust to enable and ensure that her dogs could be cared for in her home in case of her death.
Some veterinary schools and sanctuaries have continuing pet care programs in which the pets either live the rest of their lives on-site in comfortable surroundings or are adopted out or put in foster care. These programs typically require an enrollment fee (such as $1,000) and an endowment (such as $10,000 or more) either at the time of enrollment or as a bequest in your will.
Fund Your Pet’s Future Without You
Once you decide what arrangements you want to make, the important question is where will the money come from to support your pets after you die or when you are no longer able to care for them? Trust funding or direct bequests can come from cash, life insurance, annuities, stocks, bonds, or property that can be sold, such as a vehicle, house, or boat.
-Direct transfers. To create a living trust (which you create now, while you’re still alive), you must transfer money or other property to your trust. Your attorney can help you arrange the transfer so that it is properly executed.
To create a trust in your will, which becomes effective after your death, you will use the property distribution section of your will to specify the amount of money or description of property that fund the trust.
-Pour over will provision. If you create a living trust, you may add property (a “pour over”) from your estate to the trust.
-Life insurance. Pet trusts can be funded by naming your trust as a life insurance policy’s beneficiary. Because life insurance “creates” property when you die, this is an easy way to fund your pet’s future should you not have sufficient assets to do so otherwise. Consult with your lawyer or life insurance agent in order to correctly name your beneficiary.
“Many people believe that naming the caretaker as beneficiary on life insurance or arranging a bequest with just the caretaker’s name and nothing further, is sufficient,” says Goettel, “when they really need to make some reference to a ‘pet trust’ or ‘for the benefit of my pet,’ so the caretaker does not consider the funds an unrestricted gift and so the funds are used as the owner intended.”
-Pay on death accounts, annuities, retirement plans, and other contracts. If you have an annuity, retirement plan, or other contractual arrangement that permits you to name a person to receive the property after you die, you may use those assets to fund your pet trust. Consult with your lawyer, banker, or broker about the correct way to name the recipient of these funds.
-A charitable remainder trust. If you transfer property to a tax-exempt charity, it can serve as trustee of the trust and manage or invest the property so it produces income for you. The charity then pays to the trustee of your pet trust a portion of the income for a specified number of years or for the duration of the trust. When the trust ends, the remainder of the property goes to the charity. Because of its tax advantages, this has become a popular type of trust.
-Durable powers of attorney. This standard financial planning tool authorizes someone other than the pet owner to conduct certain acts on his or her behalf. Such a document can be written to become effective upon the pet owner’s physical or mental incapacity.
A Pet Trust in Action
In 1995, when she left a long-term relationship with a partner who would have cared for her dogs if something happened to her, canine nutrition expert and WDJ contributor Mary Straus found an attorney who specialized in living trusts for pets. “I was 43 at the time and had no health issues,” she says, “but I’m a worrier and prefer to know that everything’s covered, just in case. At the time I owned two genetically shy Shar-Pei, Piglet and Nattie (Piglet was so shy initially that it took three months before she voluntarily let me touch her). These dogs would not be easy to place and they wouldn’t handle disruptions well. I agonized over what I could do to protect them should something happen to me.”
Straus’s attorney helped her create a living trust. “Basically,” she says, “I left my house to my dogs, with instructions to my successor trustee that someone be found to live there and take care of them as long as needed, with much of my estate covering the cost.”
In addition, Straus prepared a separate, non-legal document covering diet, health history, special needs, likes and dislikes, and other information such as what you might leave for a pet sitter but in more detail. “I included what kind of home my dogs might best fit into,” she says, “such as with other dogs, cats, and kids, whether my dogs need to be placed together, and so forth, in hopes that the right kind of home(s) can be found sooner or later. I also included information about friends and rescue people I know who might help find someone to stay at my house or find a home for my dogs.” She updates these dog care instructions at least twice a year.
Straus chose a living trust because it allows her estate to avoid probate.
“A trust relies on your trustee,” says Straus. “Since no courts get involved, you have to trust (hence the name) the person you choose to carry out your wishes. My trust is quite simple and most of it is just boilerplate. The pet trust portion is two paragraphs that come after a paragraph that specifies the amount of money or percentage of the trust estate that will fund the trust.”
Here is the text of Straus’ Pet Trust:
Pet Trust. Settlor’s present and future primary concern upon her death is the safety, welfare, and continued care for her pets. The animals which will be living with settlor at the date of her death will be referred to hereinafter as the settlor’s “PETS”. Upon the settlor’s death, the settlor’s residence and usual furnishings shall remain in trust for a period of ten (10) years or until the natural death of the last of the PETS or until such time as the trustee has found suitable, substitute housing, shelter and care for the PETS (whichever occurs first). The retention of the residence and furnishings is for the primary purpose of providing suitable, familiar housing and shelter for settlor’s PETS during the term of the trust. Settlor expects the residence to be rented during the existence of the trust. In keeping with the settlor’s primary concern for her PETS, settlor directs the trustee to screen any and all potential tenants to assure any renter has the same or similar concern and ability to care for settlor’s PETS as settlor has, and that such care shall be compensated in such a manner that any renter shall receive an appropriate reduction in the fair rental value of the residence with is commensurate with the value of such services.
The balance of the pet trust estate and all income is to be accumulated (i.e., without distributions) during the term of the trust in a reserve account for the real property maintenance and for the feeding and veterinary care of settlor’s PETS through the term of the trust. Upon termination of the trust as described above, the balance of the trust estate shall be distributed in accordance with the residue of the trust as described in paragraph C (11) above.
Nattie passed away in 2005 at the age of 16, and Piglet followed in 2009 at 17. Straus now shares her life with Ella, a Norwich Terrier.
“My trust is still in effect,” she says, “although my successor trustee knows (and I’ve included in my instructions) that my current dog, Ella, would do fine in another home, so there would be no need to keep the house for her. I am still leaving money for her care in an arrangement where veterinary bills and other costs would be reimbursed to the new owner rather than giving that person a lump sum. In my instructions I keep a list of people who I think might provide or help find a good home for Ella. My only problem with her is that she prefers being an only dog, and everyone I know already has dogs!”
Do You Need a Pet Trust Laywer?
For the simplest of care arrangements – your best friend, a member of your family, or someone who loves your dog volunteers to care for him if something happens to you – the transfer of ownership and a simple bequest probably don’t require a lawyer, assuming you live in one of the 44 states that honor statutory pet trusts.
But if your estate is large or complicated, if relatives are likely to challenge your plans, or if you want to maintain as much control of your dog’s future as possible, you need a lawyer.
Some legal firms offer do-it-yourself will-writing software or programs that create pet trusts. “These can be inexpensive,” says Goettel, “but will programs are not usually state-specific, and law on estates and trusts varies from state to state. Also, these will programs come with general, but not specific, advice about estate planning. Although almost everyone believes their estate planning is simple and straightforward, many do not realize they have issues that should be dealt with very specifically. Also, a will document is only a piece of estate planning. Beneficiary designations, joint tenancy ownership, and other property issues need to be coordinated with the planning that is in a will, and the online programs may not be comprehensive in that regard.” In other words, it’s a good idea to check with a local lawyer who has estate-planning and pet trust experience.
Helpful Resources for Starting a Pet Trust
One online resource that comes highly recommended by estate planning attorneys and the animal welfare community is 2nd Chance for Pets, a non-profit organization that helps pet owners provide for their animals’ care should the owners die or become incapacitated.
The organization’s free eight-page Pet Care Workbook, available online or in print, includes Care Instruction Forms that you can complete, make copies of, and share with everyone involved in caring for your pets. As the workbook reminds us, the components of a lifetime care plan are simple:
1. Identify (and communicate with) future caretakers for your pets.
2. Prepare written instructions outlining how your pets should be cared for.
3. Set up a fund specifically for the care of your pets.
A detailed questionnaire includes everything from caretaker information to pet sitters, boarding facilities, emergency contact information, veterinarian information, trustee information, and details about your pet.
The organization also provides Emergency Identification Cards that tell first-responders or medical staff that you have pets, where they are, and who should be contacted if you are in an accident or are incapacitated.
I recently fostered a dog who first greeted me at the shelter that I sprung her from by jumping up on me. I spent the first two days with her almost exclusively working on preventing her from jumping. When I introduced her to a friend, my friend immediately held her arms out and greeted the dog’s enthusiastic jump up with a big hug, petting, and cooing
